Flaming/Shocking,etc. enhancements activation time

[Longbow]

A Flaming, Shocking, etc. weapon needs to be activated to get the bonus damage effect (stated in the FAQ). While bonus energy damage is good I wonder if the standard action to activate it is a major drawback.You don´t have your weapon always ready in hand with the energy activated in every situation (ambush, urban environement, visit to the king´s court). Maybe you want to attack right now, double move or do something different like casting a spell (Paladin, Arcane Caster/Fighter like EK, Battle-Cleric casting Divine Power in the first round, Rogue who has a chance to Sneak Attack, etc.).

That´s why I´m thinking that an enhancement that raises the "plus" of your weapon might be better than an energy enhanced weapon because you save time (and you´re chance to hit improve which in itself isn´t that bad). AFAIK many people say that it´s worthless to raise the plus of your weapon and take other enhancements (especially if you have acces to Greater Magic Weapon, but maybe the Cleric/Wizard doesn´t want to use a spell on you).

The best IMHO would be something like the holy enhancement (always active, damage bonus should come into play very often). But it may not be available or too expensive. Or if you´re scabbard or whatever holds your weapon would be resistant (sp?) to the energy so it could always be active. But something like this is not in the core rules (or is it?).

What do you think?

 

[Lord Pendragon]

What do you think?

I think it isn't too great a burden to be required to activate your energy enhancement at the start of a dungeon. Yes, you may not have the energy enhancement if you've been ambushed or surprised in the Ducal Court, but then that's the disadvantage of being ambushed or surprised--you aren't at your best.

So long as your entire campaign doesn't consist of nothing but ambushes and surprise, the activation time of an energy enhancement isn't going to kill you, and it does over three times the damage of a single + of enhancement bonus on average. Not bad at all. Plus, energy damage can bypass certain defenses that an ordinary + won't.

Holy is definitely one of the most effective enhancments in the game. It's also +2, though, which means you need to wait until later in the game to get your hands on it, and of course it has it's own drawbacks. For instance, I have a paladin who plans on getting a holy sword, but the campaign features Slaadi as one (of several) main enemies, against which holy is entirely ineffective.

 

[Scharlata]

[...] Slaadi as one (of several) main enemies, against which holy is entirely ineffective.

Hi!

As Lord Pendragon says.

*ahem*, aren't Gray and Death Slaadi evil?

Kind regards

 

[Darkness]

Plus, energy damage can bypass certain defenses that an ordinary + won't.

On the other hand, energy resistance/immunity is effective against it.

 

[Tatsukun]

Then again, once the ability is active, why turn it off? The energy can't harm you or your gear, so just sheathe that flaming sword and leave it on. It's not like it's going to run out of fire.

That way, you have it in the ambush situation.

-Tatsu

 

[Kaffis]

Then again, once the ability is active, why turn it off? The energy can't harm you or your gear, so just sheathe that flaming sword and leave it on. It's not like it's going to run out of fire.

That way, you have it in the ambush situation.

-Tatsu

Actually, it doesn't harm the *hands* that hold the weapon. There's nothing there to say it won't light your shirt-tails aflame (or freeze them off, or what have you), nor that your scabbard is protected. That said, as a DM I wouldn't frown on a player seeking to have some elemental damage resistance enchanted into their scabbard so they could do just as you suggest.

 

[ThirdWizard]

I usually have them activate as a free action. I have also done standard and move actions. It's also fun to make intelligent weapons only activate when the sword wills it, usually when the wielder is doing something the sword wants to do itself. I've also thought about the fun in a weapon that couldn't be deactivated. All these come with pros and cons and make each weapon a bit more distinct, so I like the approach.

 

[Tatsukun]

Actually, it doesn't harm the *hands* that hold the weapon. There's nothing there to say it won't light your shirt-tails aflame (or freeze them off, or what have you), nor that your scabbard is protected. That said, as a DM I wouldn't frown on a player seeking to have some elemental damage resistance enchanted into their scabbard so they could do just as you suggest.

I was saying that from the FAQ, others (Hyp) may disagree...

The new descriptions for the flaming, frost, and shock
weapon special abilities say that these weapons’ energy
effects work only on command. Why was this changed in
the revision? Does that mean that their wielders must use a
standard action to activate them for each attack? Or do the
energy effects last awhile? If so, how long do they last?
What’s the chance that you burn (or freeze or shock)
yourself when holding onto an activated weapon? Can you
put away an activated weapon without damaging the
scabbard where you store it? What happens if you have
ammunition with these effects? Do you have to activate
each piece of ammunition separately? What happens if you
have a flaming, frost, and shock weapon? Logically, such a
weapon couldn’t exist, but what if it did? Would you have
to activate each property separately? Finally, how does all
this affect flaming burst, icy burst, and shocking burst
weapons? Do these weapons’ flame, frost, and shock
properties have to be activated for the burst powers to
work?

The flaming, frost, and shock weapon special abilities
always have been command activated; the revision just
clarified that.
Activating an energy power requires a standard action, but
once you activate energy power, the power works until you use
another action to deactivate it. You can activate or deactivate
one of these powers on up to 50 pieces of ammunition at the
same time, provided that all the ammunition is in your
possession, all the ammunition is the same kind, and all the
ammunition has the same power.
Any attack you make with an activated weapon deals
energy damage to your foe if you hit—you don’t have to do
anything special to deal energy damage with an activated
weapon.
A burst weapon’s burst power is use activated and it works
even when the weapon’s energy power is not activated (see the
last sentence in each power’s description).
The energy from a flaming, frost, shock, flaming burst, icy
burst, or shocking burst weapon never harms you while you’re
wielding or carrying the activated weapon (see the power
descriptions), and it will not harm your equipment. If you lose
or set down an activated weapon, the energy it produces will
harm other objects it touches, so it is best to deactivate it first.
There’s nothing illogical about a flaming, frost, shock
weapon (at least not within any framework that allows weapons
to generate energy in the first place), and there’s no rule against
such weapons (think of the weapon as having fiery, frosty,
shocking flames). The character creating such a weapon
decides how it can be activated. Most such weapons probably
are made so that the wielders can activate all three powers

 

[Longbow]

"The energy from a flaming, frost, shock, flaming burst, icy
burst, or shocking burst weapon never harms you while you’re
wielding or carrying the activated weapon (see the power
descriptions), and it will not harm your equipment. If you lose
or set down an activated weapon, the energy it produces will
harm other objects it touches, so it is best to deactivate it first."

Well, does this really mean the energy could never at all damage you´re equipment,
even if it´s not in your hand but in your scabbard (or on your back)? That would be the great but I doubt that it´s meant that way.

BTW, what do you think of the Merciful enhancement? It´s similar to Holy that it´s always active but only deals nonlethal damage and all damage is nonlethal, not only bonus damage. You have to deactivate it to deal normal damage. Undead and constructs are not affected. Still worth considering?

 

[hong]

Merciful is a pain in the butt. It's an open invitation to start an alignment war, the first time your paladin has to finish off all the unconscious orcs he's knocked out.